Minneapolis Plans to Keep Party Going Long After Super Bowl
Super Bowl LII is slated to be many things, what the game won’t be is the closing of the spotlight on host city.
(Bloomberg) -- Super Bowl LII is slated to be many things: the coldest ever played (projected to be 2° F); the most expensive (according to StubHub reports putting tickets at an average of $6,598 compared, to last year’s rate of $4,068); and—at an estimated 1.35 billion prepared—a record-setting day of chicken wing consumption.
What the game won’t be is the closing of the spotlight on host city Minneapolis. The metropolis has established itself as one of the country’s best places to live, whether you’re an entrepreneur or a foodie. The Bold North, a program spearheaded by Eric Dayton, son of governor Mark Dayton, is an effort to brand the city with its own regional identity by pushing branded beer and stylish hats as a way to help get the message across.
Says Andrew Zimmern, star of hit show Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel and the NFL’s culinary ambassador for Super Bowl LII: “Most Super Bowl cities don’t have a lasting legacy—I’m looking at you, New York. Minneapolis is going beyond the moment, with programs like the Minnesota Super Bowl Legacy Fund, which benefits the state’s children. Do you see any other Super Bowl City doing that? Answer: No.”
Startup Central
Minnesota has traditionally been an epicenter of Fortune 500 companies, with more of them per capita than almost any other state, save Connecticut. Some of that money is now being funneled to a growing startup community, according to Ryan Broshar, managing director of the VC fund Matchstick Ventures. “Minnesotans are innovative, creative, and hard-working; it’s in our roots. We also have a built-in advantage in that we have a lot of old corporations that are looking to startups for innovation,” he says. “Compared to other startup communities, Minneapolis has a small-town density with a high level of corporate engagement.”
Broshar is also managing director at Techstars Retail, a startup accelerator that works with Minneapolis-based Target Corp. One of his success stories is Branch Messenger, maker of an app that digitizes schedules, which moved from Los Angeles to set up shop in Minneapolis. “They loved the local market—the access to talent versus L.A.—and raised $10 million, from a team of two to a team of 30. Meanwhile, Target gets access to innovative ideas,” says Broshar.
The Freeze Factor
Eric Dayton believes Minneapolis’s secret weapon is something some people see as a detriment: freezing temperatures. “The challenge of cold winter has infused locals with the fighting spirit. There’s a sense that you have to be creative and scrappy—and strong work ethic—and that produces great results.” Adds Zimmern: “We want people to come to Minneapolis because of our weather. In Minnesota, we embrace it. Our restaurants, our cultural centers—we’re open 12 months a year; we embrace winter in the bold north.”
Just in time for the Super Bowl, Dayton, who co-owns the stylish lumberjack-vibed clothing company Askov Finlayson, has introduced North Beer. It’s made exclusively from Minnesota ingredients, including the super-grain Kernza, and profits are being donating to initiatives that fight climate change.
Perhaps conversely, Minneapolis routinely ranks as one of America’s healthiest cities. It was one of the first to add bike trails and ban smoking in public places. Die-hard locals will go out and exercise in almost any weather.
Dining-Out Destination
In the last five years, Minneapolis and its twin, St. Paul, have become a restaurant powerhouse, taking attention from such top tier cities as Chicago—last year, the Twin Cities snagged 15 James Beard Award nominations. “People in big cities get jaded by restaurants. Cool new ones open all the time; you don’t hold on to favorites. Here in Minnesota, diners are loyal supporters,” says Zimmern.
One notable arrival is Gavin Kaysen, who left a job running the kitchen at Café Boulud in New York to open Spoon and Stable, a new American restaurant at which the price of entrees equals those of the appetizers at his former job. “There’s the Midwestern sensibility; prices are fair. Restaurants are using primo ingredients, but they’re not expensive,” notes Zimmern.
“And it’s not just the food,” says Zimmern. “When I was just in New York, a make-up artist told me she was moving from Brooklyn—Brooklyn!—to Minneapolis, because the art scene was more creative.”
Where to Eat & Drink
James Beard-winning chef Kaysen serves updated American food such as Dorothy’s pot roast with the option of foie gras, plus creamy spinach with cheese curds, in a spacious, handsome dining room in the North Loop. 211 N. First Street
In a former warehouse, the restaurant co-owned by Eric Dayton has a Midwestern-focused menu. with a section of toasts served on vintage racks, accompied by such items as roasted ham and apple mustard. Other offerings include pork meatballs and Northern pike with braised beans. Its adjacent cafe offers delicious baked goods as well. 50 N. 2nd Avenue
This breakout new restaurant has a menu that mixes Korean and Italian dishes. There’s a Korean BBQ pizza, chicory Caesar salad, and spicy clams with kimchi in a large, buzzy space. The hidden back bar is open when the red light is on. 165 13th Avenue NE
There’s plenty of beer at this vast brewery—Surly has a rotating tap of 20 brews such as Bender American oatmeal brown ale. And on the food menu: house-made sausages, roasted spaghetti squash, and oysters. 520 Malcolm Avenue SE
The menu at this St. Paul dining room tweaks classic comfort foods: Bone marrow also includes corned beef and sauerkraut, while the bucatini carbonara has an uni garnish. Chef Adam Keaton’s signature dish is the meaty, homemade fried bologna sandwich. 261 5th Street E, St Paul
Church relics decorate this outstanding subterranean bar—the hostess stand is a former altar. The drinks menu is divided into such sections as ‘80’s Resurrection and House Originals; among bar snacks, there’s a terrific take on a fast-food burger and tater tots with cheese sauce. 1115 Second Avenue S
Superb Vietnamese food is the specialty at this casual, new, fun spot, with plates such as Hanoi sticky rice studded with Chinese sausage, and coconut rice crepes, which diners can stuff with pork belly and shrimp or shiitake mushrooms. Owners Christina Nguyen and Birk Grudem already have a following for their Hola Arepas food truck. 2121 University Avenue NE
Andrew Zimmern is a big fan of this Linden Hills restaurant. “It reminds you of great South American eateries. It’s not exactly an Argentinian steakhouse, or a Peruvian cevicheria, but there’s a guy who does great cuts of meat, another guy who takes care of your seafood. It’s like a collective that doubles as a restaurant.” The menu includes 100-day-aged, 20-ounce rib-eyes with lobster tails, as well as grilled Spanish mackerel with avocado. 4312 Upton Avenue S
People cried when the decades-old steak and red wine institution of this name closed its doors. Now it’s been revived as a smart, Midwestern supper club with smoked lake fish platters, steak Diane, and Polynesian spare ribs, plus a martini bar. 1096 Grand Avenue, St. Paul
Where to Stay
In a former warehouse in Minneapolis’s North Loop neighborhood, the Hewing has 124 rooms, 14 suites, and the vibe of a cozy, well-appointed hunting lodge. On the roof is a bar and hot tub; the lobby is dominated by the Nordic restaurant Tulibee and its immense, buzzy bar. Rooms from $159 per night; 300 N Washington Avenue
This handsome downtown Minneapolis hotel is set in a tower on the National Register of Historic Places. The Rolling Stones were among the first guests to stay after an $8 million renovation in 2015; they also helped inaugurate the Constantine bar (above). There are 136 guest rooms and 20 suites. From $149 per night; 201 S. Eleventh Street
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Gaddy at jgaddy@bloomberg.net.
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.